Celtic sit right on the precipice of Europa League knockout qualification after a dramatic 2-2 draw at Bologna on Thursday night.
Martin O’Neill’s side led 2-0 at half-time against the Italian side, thanks to goals from Reo Hatate and Austin Trusty.
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However, Hatate’s red card ten minutes before half-time meant Celtic played the guts of an hour with 10 men, and Bologna would mount a second-half comeback.
Goals from Thijs Dallinga and Jonathan Rowe levelled things up, but the Celtic rearguard held firm to deny the home side a winner and claim a point that could prove crucial in securing their place in the last-16 playoffs.
Celtic sit in 24th in the Europa League table, the final spot that will secure qualification for the knockouts, and their point on Thursday means their destiny is now in their own hands next week.
The draw came thanks in no small part to the superb efforts of Liam Scales and goalscorer Trusty at the heart of the Celtic defence.
At full-time, manager Martin O’Neill reserved special praise for Scales’ role in the draw, saying the centre-back epitomised the spirit of the club.
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Martin O’Neill hails Liam Scales influence at Celtic
16 November 2025; Liam Scales of Republic of Ireland during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F Qualifier match between Hungary and Republic of Ireland at Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
“Trusty was magnificent. He was absolutely magnificent,” Martin O’Neill said of Austin Trusty, scorer of Celtic’s first goal from the centre of defence.
“As he has been in my time here and I’m sure before that. I couldn’t give him any higher praise than the performance he put in. He was absolutely magnificent, as were the team.
He and Scales have been really, really great as a defensive two for me during the time that I’ve been here.
Trusty epitomised the spirit of the team. It was colossal, really colossal.
It’s high praise for Liam Scales, a man who has sometimes struggled to win over the home fans at Celtic Park but has hit his stride once again in recent weeks.
If the Wicklow man can keep producing performances like that he delivered on Thursday, Ireland fans will be thrilled, with March’s playoff against the Czech Republic just around the corner.
Celtic now host Utrecht in Glasgow next Thursday, knowing a win will guarantee them progression to the knockout stages of the Europa League.
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